Railway-tie and track-fastening



(No Model.)

B. D. PRICE. RAILWAY TIE AND TRACK FASTENING.

No. 487,351. Patented Dec. 6, 1892..

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PATENT Trice,

RUSSELL D. PRICE, OF PARKSIDE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TIE. AND TRACK-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,851, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed January 26,1892. Serial No. 419,352. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

zen of the United States, residing at Parkside,

in the county of Monroe and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Railway-Ties and Track- Fastenings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in railway-ties and tr'ack-fastenings; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two forms in which I have contemplated embodying myinvention; and said i11- vention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan View of a cross-tie constructed according to my invention and provided with my improved track fastening. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of said tie through one of said track-fastenings. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the parts of the track-fastenings detached. Fig. A is a detail of one of the hinged jaws of the fastening. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through my improved tie out of the plane of the trackfastenings, and Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a track -fastening having a slightly-modified arrangement of parts.

In the drawings, reference being had to the letters of reference marked thereon, A represents my improved cross-tie, which is hollow and may be formed by casting or in any other desired'manner. The tie is preferably Hat on its under side and curved on its upper side, as shown in the sectional view, Fig. 5, and the corners adjacent to the flat-bottom side are preferably rounded, as shown. Adjacent to both ends the tie A is given a configuration to enable it to receive the parts of my im proved track-fastening. To this end the tie is preferably provided adjacent to each end, at the required distance apart to conform to the gage of the track, with a depressed portion a, inclosed at either side by raised flanges a, the said depressed portion a terminating at each endin substantially-cylindrical-shaped fastening with a retaining device, it being recesses a which receive cylindrical-shaped portions 1) of the jaws B of the track-fastenu ings, thereby forming hinge connections. The side or lateral flan ges a, of the tie are cut away or recessed at a (see Fig. 3) to receive the foot of a rail 0 and hold it against spreading, and the central part of the depressed portion a of the tie is preferably provided with a recess a for the reception of a block or piece of elastic material D, as wood, rubber, leather, or other suitable material, to lessen thejar of the rail. Each of the clamping-jaws B is provided with a projecting portion 19, beveled on their under sides, forming a gripping-recess adapted to receive and grip one side of the foot or base-flange of the rail, and each of said jaws is also grovided with a projecting flange or web b adapted to be engaged by the under side of the rail. The two webs or flanges b b have their meeting edges provided the one with a groove or recess b to receive the other edge, so that when the two jaws are forced down upon the tie the two webs b b will be tightly interlocked and will form a seat for the base of the rail while the beveled proj ecting portions 1) will engage the upper face of the foot of the rail and clamp it securely in position, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The weight of the rail will tend to hold the jaws down in their proper positions upon the rail, and the under portion of each of said jaws and the webs b b are slightly narrower than the main portions of the same, so that they will lie between the vertical flanges a of the tie and prevent the lateral movement of said jaws.

It will not be necessary ordinarily to provide a fastening device for thejaws B, as the rail will hold them down securely. Even should the rail have a tendency to incline on one side, the foot would exert a great pressure on the part b of the jaw on that side, and this pressure would also hold down the other jaw, as the two are connected by the interlocking connection of the webs 17 5*, so that the rail will not be permitted to turn. It may, however, be desirable to provide retaining means for said jaws, as in case of heavy frosts, which mighttend to lift the rails from the ties, the lifting of the rails would raise the jaws and loosen their grip on the rail. I therefore prefer to provide the inner jaw of each trackonly necessary to secure one jaw of each pair in View of the interlocking feature before referred to.

I11 Fig. 3 I have shown one form of retaining device in full lines, which consists of a perforated ear or lug b on the under side of the jaw B, which is adapted to engage a corresponding recess in the tie, and a bolt or pin E, which is adapted to pass through the said ear or lug and through suitable apertures a in the side portions of the tie, thus securely retaining the jaw in its operative position. The bolt may be retained in position by means of a nut or a pin 6, as shown.

In dotted lines, Fig. 3 and in Fig. 6, Ihave indicated a slightly-modified form of retaining device. In this form I dispense with the perforated lug or ear b and with the bolt or pin E and apertures d and provide the tie with a vertically-disposed tongue a which may be cast integrally with the tie, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, or secured thereto by a pin or bolt, as shown in Fig. 6. This tongue at extends upwardly through a suitable aperture b in the jaw B and is provided near its its upper end with a slot or aperture a through which a wedge-pin a is driven to secure the parts together and draw the jaw B down firmly in place.

In order to form a seat for the wedge-pin, I

prefer to provide the aperture b with flangesb as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, having studs or projections b to engage either side of the pin a and assist in holding it in position. I may also provide the wedge a with a pin a to prevent it from being accidentally disengaged.

It is obvious that instead of usingthe wedge a I may provide the upper end of the tongue a with screw-threads and secure the jaw B in position by means of a nut.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: The ties are laid and ballasted like the ordinary wooden cross-ties now in use, after having been preferably coated inside and out with tar or similar substance to prevent .rust. When it is desired to secure a rail in position, the jaws B B are placed in engagement with the tie by pressing the cylindrical portions 1) sidewise into engagement with the recesses a of the tie, thereby forming a hinge connection. The hinged jaws are then raised and the foot of the rail is'inserted in the recess beneath the beveled projections b, the foot engaging the webs or projecting portions 29 0f the jaws. The packing or cushion D having been placed in the recess M, the rail is then depressed. The ends of the webs b b of the jaws B will interlock, as before described, and when the parts have been forced down into their lowest position, as shown in Fig. 2, one of the jaws B may be secured by suitable retaining means, as before described. I may dispense with the packing D, if desired.

By the use of my improved fastening any one of the ties may be disengaged from the rails and replaced when desired by either raising the track or lowering the tie, as is most convenient.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway-track fastening comprising the hinged jaws having portions adapted to engage the iipper face of the rail-foot and interlocking portions adapted to engage the under side of the same, the rail-engaging portions of each jaw being at the end of the same opposite its hinge connection, substantially as described.

2. A railway-track fastening comprising the hinged jaws having beveled portions adapted to engage the upper face of the rail-foot and interlocking portions for engaging the under side of the same and a retaining device for one of said jaws, the rail-engaging portions of each jaw being at the end of the same opposite its hinge connection, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the hinged gripping-jaws for engaging the foot of the rail, said jaws having portions extending beneath said rail and forming a seat therefor, of an elastic cushion located beneath said seatportions of the jaws, substantially as described.

4. The combination,with the recessed crosstie having lateral flanges notched to receive the foot of a rail, of the gripping-jaws for engaging the foot of the rail, connected to said tie by hinge connections, said jaws having portions adapted to fit between said flanges to prevent lateral movement of said jaws, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the cross-tie, of the hinged gripping-jaws adapted to engage the foot of a rail, having interlocking portions provided the one with a recess to receive the other, said tie and one of said jaws being provided the one with a perforated part adapted to engage a recess in the other part, and a retaining-pin, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the cross-tie and hinged jaws having interlocking portions, of a retaining device for one of said jaws, comprising a perforated part secured to the crosstie and engaging an aperture or recess in said jaw, and the wedge-pin, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL D. PRICE.

IIO 

